What Wet Dog Food Do Veterinarians Recommend
When choosing any type of dog food, it is always helpful to have your pets needs in mind, and to learn how to effectively read a pet food label.
The most commonly recommended dog food brands, by veterinarians, include: Royal Canin, Science Diet, and Purina Pro Plan. Here are a few wet dog food options for puppies, adult dogs, and senior dogs:
How Much Wet Food Should I Give My Cat
As you can see, the wet vs dry cat food argument is not very easy with pros and cons on both sides. What these aspects tell us is that knowing what to give to your cat is partly circumstantial. It will not only need to factor in the cat’s well-being and health status, but the financial and practical circumstances of the human guardian.
It is possible to only feed your cat wet food and for them to be healthy. However, you will have to be very careful with portion control. The higher fat content means obesity is a greater risk.
Kittens will need to be fed wet food when they are first weaned from their mother’s milk. This is for two main reasons. Firstly, their underdeveloped teeth make chewing dry food more difficult. Secondly, since they are growing so rapidly, the higher fat and protein are beneficial to their development.
Adult cats can have a diet which is made of exclusively dry food, but only when it is of good quality. This is because the food should be formulated to meet all of the cat’s nutritional needs. There will be different formulae for different cats. For example, the age of the cat will affect their nutritional requirements. Diabetic cats or those with kidney failure will also need a specific formula.
Raw Cooked Or Canned Pumpkin
Raw, cooked and canned pumpkin are all safe for your pup to eat. As raw pumpkin contains more water than when it is cooked, try making your own pumpkin puree or buy it in a can, to get the best nutritional effects. Canned pumpkin is also available all year round.
Roasted pumpkin seeds can be added to your dog’s food or you can try a prepared kibble or wet dog food that has pumpkin as one of its ingredients, just like ours.
To recap, let’s see what you must know about pumpkin so you can safely feed it to your dog.
- Dogs can safely eat raw and cooked pumpkin – in moderation.
- Canned or homemade, pureed 100% pumpkin is better than raw pumpkin.
- Pumpkin skin isnt easily digestible.
- The stem and leaves of a pumpkin can be toxic.
- Roast pumpkin seeds before feeding them to your dog.
Now you have had a chance to explore the benefits of feeding pumpkin safely to your dog, we hope they enjoy it as much as we do – in whatever form you choose!
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Isn’t Feeding Raw Food Dangerous Due To The Risk Of Salmonella And E Coli
The digestive tracts of dogs and cats are very different than those of humans. The human digestive tract is approximately 25 to 28 feet long with a stomach acidity between 1.5 and 2.5, whereas dogs and cats have a much shorter digestive system at an average of 10 to 13 feet for dogs with an acidity of less than 1.
This means that raw food moves through your pet’s system in less than half the time it would through a human’s system, and the high acidity kills most bacteria. Even if the food was contaminated, it is unlikely that the microbes would enter the animal’s bloodstream.
Commercially prepared raw food manufacturers take measures to control against the presence of unwanted organisms such as salmonella and e. coli, so if you’re concerned about contamination, frozen raw diets are a good option.
If you eat meat, then you are aware of the precautions to take when handling raw meat. The same precautions apply to raw pet food: wash bowls, utensils and your hands after feeding and handling the meat. Keep the meat frozen until two to four days before feeding, and thaw in the refrigerator. Don’t leave the food down for your pet for more than 30-40 minutes, and throw any leftovers away after this time.
If you use common sense, feeding raw food is no more difficult or dangerous than any other pet food, and the health benefits are unparalleled.
How Much Wet Food To Feed A Dog
There are many different diets available for pups today. It is easy to get confused between marketing gimmicks and quality nutrition. With pictures of fresh wholesome meat and delicious looking fruit and vegetables on the packacging of many products, it is tempting to shop with your eyes.
We now know that many of these pet food labels use marketing tactics to promote food as healthy and use less than the highest quality ingredients. But don’t worry we’ll help you understand what to look for in a wet dog food and how much you should be feeding your best friend to keep them happy and healthy. We did the research and can offer you some of our best tips and tricks.
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Contains More Protein Than Most Dry Kibble
Wet foods are generally speaking formulated with more protein and less carbohydrate content. They usually come packed with more meat than their dry counterparts. That said, all food is not created equally so it is still critically important to read the ingredient labels carefully before choosing a wet food.
Are Table Scraps And Other People Foods Bad For Your Dog And Cat
Most holistically trained veterinarians encourage the practice of feeding “people food” to our pets. Healthy leftovers are an excellent supplement to your companion’s regular fare. There are only two rules with people food for pets:
It’s important to note that not all healthy foods for us are healthy for our pets: onions, grapes and raisins can all be toxic to dogs and cats. If you’re not positive it’s safe, don’t feed it.
If you want to feed meat from the grocery store, there are a number of homemade pre-mixes available where you just need to add is meat and an appropriate oil for healthy fat content.
Pre-mixes contain vegetables, vitamins and minerals, and sometimes grains to make the meal complete. You don’t have to cook every meal for your companion to benefit from fresher food: even the occasional homemade dinner is a wonderful healthy treat!
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Kibble Offers Flexibility And Convenience
A kibble diet fits a variety of schedules and lifestyles, with less worry of spoilage. Its easy to pack on outings and road trips. And if your dog prefers snacking and grazing, kibble can stay in the bowl all day long, without worry about bacteria growth and spoilage! And theres no need to bother with refrigerating leftover portions. Scoop, measure, fill and youre done.
Keep an eye on the portion and make sure youre measuring the right amount of food for your dogs size. A serving of kibble appears smaller than that of canned, with more calories per ounce, which means overfeeding can happen all too easily.
Does Dry Pet Food Clean Your Dog’s And Cat’s Teeth
This one is very common, even among some veterinarians, but it is most definitely not true. Dogs and cats have very pointed teeth even their molars are sharp edged, not flat. These teeth are designed to bite, tear, and chew raw meat, so when a dog or cat eats kibble, they either swallow it whole or shatter it.
Kibble does not scrape down onto the lower parts of the teeth or near the gums, which is where dental problems start. In fact, kibble can contribute to dental problems when the shattered bits lodge between the teeth, promoting bacterial growth. Just like with your diet, carbohydrate food debris breaks down into sugar, which dental bacteria feeds upon.
However, kibble isn’t going to help. Healthy teeth start with a natural diet, healthy chews, and regular brushing.
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Are The Best Foods Those By Veterinarians
While large brands sold in veterinarian’s offices may be marketed as premium, top of the line foods, one look at the ingredients tells a different story. These formulas, made by large conglomerate food manufacturers, derive far more protein from grains or grain by-product sources such as corn gluten meal, brewer’s rice, and wheat, than from healthy meat sources.
These brands, and so many like them found in grocery stores, also contain poultry by-product, which consists of the leftovers unfit for human consumption, like feet, beaks, undeveloped eggs, and intestines everything BUT clean meat. It’s a cheap, low quality source of protein that is far less digestible than clean chicken meal. These ingredients are a tell-tale sign of poor quality food and are no different than discount brands at the grocery store.
Although the formulas may contain a few specialized ingredients to position them as a special diet for health conditions such as joint support, urinary tract health, etc., a better way to treat these conditions is with a truly healthy food and one or more daily supplements.
When looking for the best food, meat and a named meat meal, like chicken meal or lamb meal, should be listed before any grains. Our dogs and cats are designed by nature to eat protein from meat sources, not grains. The high grain content of many pet foods is a primary contributor to the growing obesity and allergy problems in pets .
They Are What They Eat
Good health and longevity begin with good nutrition. The educated dog owner strives to feed the best and most beneficial food that their budget allows. Even the choice of canned food versus dry is a big one, thanks to a wide variety of formulations, price points and health claims with strong proponents on either side. As always, your veterinarian should be the last word on your dogs nutritional needs.
But for how canned and dry foods compare, heres the scoop:
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Whats Good About Wet Food
Although dry food might be a more popular choice, some owners will choose to feed their dog a wet diet to better please fussy eaters and give their dog an added hydration boost. As wet food has a rich, meaty aroma, picky dogs can be more enticed to eat their meals. In the case of those pets that may not be getting enough water throughout the day, wet food can provide them with additional hydration because of its high moisture content.
Best Dog Food For Senior Dogs
Senior dogs, usually considered 7+, vary in their individual nutritional needs. Younger senior dogs may struggle with being overweight and older senior dogs may struggle with being underweight, which is why there is such a variety.
Choosing the best senior dog food may come down to what your dog finds palatable. Many older dogs prefer wet food while others may need their food warmed up to enhance the aromas. Ultimately, your vet can help choose the best dog food for an older pet.
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Research Raw Food Diets
A raw food diet tries to replicate food a dog would have eaten in the wild. It consists of some mixture of meat, bones, organ meat, raw eggs, some fruits, vegetables, and dairy.
Fans of raw diets believe its the healthiest option for their dogs and that it promotes shinier coats, cleaner teeth, more energy, and healthier skin. Naysayers point out the risks, which include exposure to harmful bacteria for both dogs and humans, an unbalanced diet, and the potential dangers of sharp pieces of bone injuring a dogs teeth and digestive tract.
In spite of its popularity, some research has come out against raw food diets. As early as 2012, the American Animal Hospital Association stated, Based on overwhelming scientific evidence, AAHA does not advocate or endorse feeding pets any raw or dehydrated non-sterilized foods, including treats that are of animal origin. The American Veterinary Medical Association discourages the feeding to cats and dogs of any animal-source protein that has not first been subjected to a process to eliminate pathogens, because of the risk of illness to cats and dogs, as well as humans.
Additionally, some frozen raw dog foods have been recalled due to the presence of pathogens like E. coli and salmonella. Owners feeding these diets should be careful to always stay aware of the most recent recall information for their brands.
An Overlooked Dog Food Option
Canned dog food. That was it. Bailey wouldnt eat the kibble. But he sure did love that wet food.
So, I decided to learn more about canned dog food. I knew Bailey liked it. And he liked it a lot more than he liked kibble.
But I had to be sure if it was OK for him to eat. After all, Id always heard that canned dog food wasnt as good for dogs as kibble.
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Change The Water Bowl And Location
At the beginning of this article, we talked about how the dog may not drink water because they might have either created a negative association with the water bowl or the location. Purchase a new water bottle and see if that fixes the issue. If it doesnt, then change the location of the bowl. If neither of those work, at least you can rule out this possibility.
Quick Fixes To Rehydrate Your Dog
Sometimes its good to put a band-aid on things while youre trying to get to the bottom of the issue. In this case, you want to make sure your dog stays hydrated while figuring out why they stopped drinking water in the first place. It may take some time to figure things out, so keeping them hydrated in the meantime is vital.
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What Are The Pros And Cons Of Dry Dog Food
Dry dog food – generally referred to as ‘kibble’ – remains the foundation for the dog food industry, and has a number of advantages:
- Kibble is by far the easiest to feed and to portion-manage.
- It is an excellent choice for dogs that prefer to graze because the total daily portion can be measured into the bowl in the morning, and then offered at specific mealtimes throughout the day.
- It comes in many sizes and shapes, so you can choose one that your dog prefers. Some very big dogs prefer very tiny kibble!
- Kibble lends itself well to food toys or interactive feeders that either move about and dispense kibbles intermittently or are stationary and make the dog work for its food. Food toys can be just as entertaining for the humans as they are for the dogs!
Work with your veterinarian to determine the calorie content of the kibble you have chosen in order to determine an appropriate daily portion.
“It is a myth that dogs need variety in their food choices.”
It is a myth that dogs need a variety in their food choices. Consistency is generally best. Once you find a nutrient profile that agrees with your dog, or one that has been prescribed by your veterinarian, stick with it. Your veterinarian will recommend food changes based on changing nutritional needs as your dog ages and his body changes.
At The End Of 2019 During Our Yearly Vet Check We Received The Devastating News That Our 11 Year Old Dog’s Blood Work Showed That He Was In Stage 4 Kidney Failure
Honestly, I was a basket case, how on earth did we miss this? He seemed like he was just dealing with some symptoms of getting older – frequent urination, sometimes excessive water drinking. It definitely didn’t feel like life threatening symptoms. As much as the diagnosis was a shock, the price tag of the prescription diet he would need to eat for the remainder of his life was pretty horrifying too!
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Should I Feed My 8 Week Old Puppy Wet Food
At 8 weeks old you can start feeding your pup wet dog food. Your puppy still has soft teeth, which can make wet food a better choice. Pups at this stage are finally transitioning from their mothers milk to solid food and wet dog food is perfect for this, as dogs often find it more palatable and easier to eat.
After this, once your puppys teeth have started to strengthen and harden, you can make the swap from wet to dry food, if you wish. When doing so, it can be helpful to soften the kibble by moistening it with water before feeding it to your puppy. Its also best to make the transition slowly, ideally over a 10-day period: dogs stomachs are sensitive and can suffer from sudden dietary changes.
There is some debate over whether dry kibble is better for good dog dental health. Some argue that the crunch is essential for developing strong and healthy teeth. Others, however, claim that the fact that dry food stays stuck to their teeth can create decay and other problems.
Once youre past the weaning stage, it really is down to personal choice both yours and your pups!